Water and How to Defeat It
by Siri Catriona
Summary: It's as simple as 1-2-3. Step one: tell the truth. Step two: help with conflicting emotions. Step three: profit.


I was worried, I guess. Yeah, I was working up a worry wart about my two friends leaving me for somewhere else without telling, even though I knew neither of them would do such a thing. In the future, maybe, but now? No. No way.

I'm a reasonably patient person- I don't get much road rage, having been surrounded by it my entire life and growing extremely bored of it. I've waited nearly half an hour just waiting for my tiny laptop to load on more than one occasion, so waiting the same amount of time for a couple of friends is nothing. So at the twenty minute mark of waiting, I paid for a cup of hot chocolate instead of leaving. I had already gotten one when I came in, but really, the stuff is just so good.

The shop around me was filled with a subdued, happy buzz. It smelled distinctly of coffee and chocolate, and was heated by the various vents in the ceiling as well as the various laptops at full power around the first floor. The building itself was colorful, with fiery shades on the ceiling in such an arrangement that it kind of looked like a moose holding a latte. Then again, that might just be my imagination. Artwork decorated the walls, probably from the various high schools in the area, including my own, and the walls were nice to look at over the dark, worn wood of the floor. This was the first time I had been here.

Taking hold of my drink, I stepped upstairs- the quiet, more calm version of downstairs, if that's possible.

**if no one gets here in the next ten minutes I am ordering one more hot chocolate and then LEAVING**

My phone went back to its place on the table. I took a sip of scalding heaven in a cup.

Footsteps up the stairs, and they were loud, too. But I couldn't tell the exact pace, so I turned anyway to see who it was. Thankfully, a familiar face arrived. "Hey."

"What took you?"

"Sorry, family meeting came before I got to leave."

I snorted, remembering about his family. "Right. All well."

Austin took the seat across from me on the long table, and I didn't really care as long as someone had shown up. He's big, beefy and muscular in the sort of way you would expect a stereotypical football player to look; curly hair adorns his head in near-black clusters and the same color appears in wisps over his upper lip. I could see the window's reflection whenever I looked at his glasses. "So, you miss me?"

"You wish." I sat up straighter. "_I_ have been occupying my time sipping up two cups of hot chocolate waiting for you dipshits, and one of you has yet to show."

His eyebrows crumpled at that. "I thought Lily would be here already?"

"Nope. Actually, you would think she'd be the first to be here since she organized the meeting." Yeah, there was a little pinprick of irritation at my friend, but I figured it would pass as soon as she came.

"I guess she got sidetracked?"

"Hell of a sidetrack..." I murmured, and took another sip in the lull that followed. "... Then again, she does have a lot to keep busy with, so... yay waiting."

"How long have you been here?"

"Half an hour. I sent you a text, and she hasn't called me at all."

"Why didn't you call her?"

Twitch. "As it turns out, I have the wrong number for house _and_ cell. Every time I try, the only person I catch is the operator- who isn't even a person, by the way." He looked a bit surprised about that, dark eyes unevened by angled eyebrows. "I would check yours, too, if I were you."

He nodded, and whipped out the dingy phone that hung on his necklace. I nearly chuckled at the sight of it- he's been trying to break that thing for who knows how long, but it's practically indestructible and annoys him to no end.

It dinged, and he looked at the screen curiously, then smiled. "Finally got your text. '_if no one gets here in the next ten minutes-_'"

"Just call her already!"

He laughed. I faked a sneer at him and ended up smiling a little myself.

After a few seconds on the phone, he cursed. I tried not to look surprised- looks like she gave us both faulty numbers. He dialed, trying again, but that led to disappointment as well. He sighed. "Well, she should be here soon either way."

"Hopefully."

We were right, at least- our mutual friend arrived a few minutes later, looking same as ever. And by same, of course I mean beautiful. Lauren is just one of those people that are undeniably beautiful, inside and out, and no one really has a hard time recognising this. I didn't even notice how beautiful she was until another friend pointed it out, and then came the thought... 'huh, you know, I'm friends with a wonderful, beautiful person'. And life continued with that thought in tow.

The only thing I wonder about now is why she doesn't think so.

I smiled when she cleared the steps. "Hey there."

"Hey!" She paced over and quickly set he stuff down in the now empty seat across from me- Austin had taken to lying down in the nearby couch. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's alright. What took you?"

A smile. "Francis. Clothes. Stuff."

"Ah."

"Who's Francis?"

We turned to Austin, who was looking at us both in curiosity. "Just a friend of ours." I answered, and Lily continued to unpack her bag- most likely looking for money to buy a drink of her own.

... And that's where the turning point came. From then on my life didn't seem the same, even though I had been told weeks before.

"C'mon, I'll buy you food and stuff."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I have more than enough for two drinks, maybe a muffin- as long as you come with to carry your own."

"Thank you!"

"No problem." I grinned, feeling completely at home.


End file.
